what is the difference between Gary Fong's Lightsphere and Stofen Omnibounce

[catchlights]

Some posts in this thread mentioned that there is almost no difference between direct flash and omnibounce at open area.

But I have the similiar opinion with espn. The omnibounce at least can soften the light.

Can anyone give comments on this opinion?

No, if you are shooting a person 10 ft away in a open area, it would not be any different whether you are using omnibounce or direct flash, except you waste your flash power by using omnibounce.

But if you shooting a 1cm bug at 10 cm away in a open area, omnibounce will give a slightly softer light compare to direct flash.

Many people still don't understand this simple principle, the bigger the light source, will yield softer light, and the subject closer to the light source, it will make the light source relatively bigger, is also produce softer light, so the proper way to diffuse the light is to make the light source bigger.

That why ceiling bounce always give the softer light compare to other device, and why a bigger softbox will produce a softer light compare to a smaller softbox, and why many photographers like to place softbox as close as possible to the subject.

So when someone says to put a piece of tissue paper to diffuse the flash light, for shooting portraits, that make me laugh, if you want to produce a nice soft light diffuse with tissue paper, it will only works if your tissue is same size as your subject and place it very close to your subject. So it become a very big light source. Not using the tissue paper cover your flash, in this way the size of the light source still the same, and you are wasting flash power.


You can do a simple experiment, just use a table lamp to shine on any object from a distant, you will notice the light cast a distinct shadow, if you bring the table lamp very near to the same object, you will notice now the shadow become not so distinct, why? It is because now the table lamp become a bigger light source.

 

[lsisaxon]

So when someone says to put a piece of tissue paper to diffuse the flash light, for shooting portraits, that make me laugh, if you want to produce a nice soft light diffuse with tissue paper, it will only works if your tissue is same size as your subject and place it very close to your subject. So it become a very big light source. Not using the tissue paper cover your flash, in this way the size of the light source still the same, and you are wasting flash power.

It does make a difference. The light that comes out straight from the flash is focused by the fresnel lens and the parabolic reflector to give the required angle of coverage. So that focused light is almost like coming from a point source and therefore makes it very harsh. By covering the flash head with a piece of tissue or some diffusing material, now that light has become the size of the flash head. Now that's quite significantly larger than a point source therefore it's less harsh. Of course, putting on a small softbox or a bounce card improves things further. It's about diffusing the light, otherwise you could just use a mirror instead of a bounce card.

 

[espn]

By the way, from the sound of the flash pop, I don't think he is fire the flash at full power...

And that's why he's a pro and out there shooting, while we're onling talking, geddit?

 

[espn]

No, if you are shooting a person 10 ft away in a open area, it would not be any different whether you are using omnibounce or direct flash, except you waste your flash power by using omnibounce.

But if you shooting a 1cm bug at 10 cm away in a open area, omnibounce will give a slightly softer light compare to direct flash.

Many people still don't understand this simple principle, the bigger the light source, will yield softer light, and the subject closer to the light source, it will make the light source relatively bigger, is also produce softer light, so the proper way to diffuse the light is to make the light source bigger.

That why ceiling bounce always give the softer light compare to other device, and why a bigger softbox will produce a softer light compare to a smaller softbox, and why many photographers like to place softbox as close as possible to the subject.

So when someone says to put a piece of tissue paper to diffuse the flash light, for shooting portraits, that make me laugh, if you want to produce a nice soft light diffuse with tissue paper, it will only works if your tissue is same size as your subject and place it very close to your subject. So it become a very big light source. Not using the tissue paper cover your flash, in this way the size of the light source still the same, and you are wasting flash power.


You can do a simple experiment, just use a table lamp to shine on any object from a distant, you will notice the light cast a distinct shadow, if you bring the table lamp very near to the same object, you will notice now the shadow become not so distinct, why? It is because now the table lamp become a bigger light source.

Yup, CL summed it up pretty nicely.